TurboGrafx-16 & PC-Engine Magazine Scans

A brief history of TG-16 magazines in North America

Note: If you are new to the world of TurboGrafx-16 / PC-Engine / DUO, then read a brief history of the Duo that appeared in the premier issue of DuoWorld Magazine (July 1993).

In September of 1989, NEC launched the TurboGrafx-16 (TG-16) video game console across North America. Many multi-platform magazines covered TG-16 (e.g. EGM, VG & CE, GamePro, GameFan, Game Player's, Game Informer, Electronic Games, Video Games, etc.), but only a handful of publications were dedicated exlusively to the console: TurboPlay, TurboEdge, DuoWorld and TurboForce.

The first issue of TurboPlay Magazine did not appear until June of 1990.  TurboPlay was a spin-off publication of Video Games & Computer Entertainment (VG & CE), one of the more popular multi-platform gaming magazines of the late 1980's / early 1990's. Ultimately, 14 issues of TurboPlay (bi-monthly, 32 pages, June 1990 - August 1992) were published, making it the most successful of the four titles.

In October of 1992, three years after the TurboGrafx-16 console was introduced, its successor -- TurboDuo -- was released in North America.  The TurboDuo (later simply called "Duo") was a "new" console that consolidated existing technology (TurboGrafx-16 + TurboGrafx-CD + upgraded RAM) in a sleek new form.  To keep current with this development, TurboPlay would eventually be reborn as DuoWorld Magazine. Only three issues of DuoWorld (bi-monthly, July 1993 - November 1993) were published. The premier issue was superb (32 pages), but the final two issues were only 16 pages in length.

In an effort to promote their new TurboDuo console, Turbo Technologies Inc. (TTi), vis-a-vis Sendai, published TurboForce Magazine (4 quarterly issues, 32 pages, Summer 1992 - Spring 1993).  TurboForce was completely under the editorial control of TTi (unlike TurboPlay and DuoWorld, which were published by L.F.P.).  Devoid of any critical software reviews, TurboForce unabashedly promoted TurboDuo and its software releases. Not surprisingly, the first issue of TurboForce was included with every TurboDuo console. This debut issue provided strategy guides for TurboDuo's five pack-in games and served as a nice introduction to the TG-16 universe. TurboForce, thankfully, filled the vacuum created by the cancellation, in the Summer of 1992, of TurboPlay Magazine. Turboforce was the only title new Duo owners could turn to during the crucial first 8 months following the North American launch of the Duo. The fourth and last issue of TurboForce was released in the Summer of 1993, coninciding with the introduction of the short-lived DuoWorld Magazine. Δ